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New 'as the crow flies' move on school places: Map routes hold key to appeals
A NEW way of deciding which children should get places in schools that are oversubscribed is on the cards.
Until now, appeals for places in Calderdale school have often turned on how far youngsters have to walk along surfaced roads and footpaths from their garden gate to the school gate.
Councillors are now considering using a far more simple approach by measuring routes "as the crow flies".
It means all the measurements can be done on a map and avoid councillors and education officials having to hike up hill and down dale to decide whether walking routes are safe and suitable.
The change has already been approved by the Calderdale Schools Forum, which is made up of education officials, some councillors and head teachers.
But at least one school is strongly opposed to the new system which it says will lead to some "ridiculous outcomes."
"The straight line method is easy to measure but flawed as it takes no account of the terrain or roads and it should only be used as an indicator," according to head teacher Jan Connolly.
"In addition, some common sense needs to be applied, though this is difficult to quantify."
She and the chairman of the governors, Steven Lilley, have written to the council's cabinet urging members to reject the idea when it meets tonight.
The acting head of Halifax High School, Stefan Sotnyk, said: "Children do not walk in straight lines – they follow public rights of way. This proposal seems ludicrous."
But the council's director of children and young people, Janet Donaldson, says using the shortest walking route to determine appeals for places has been problematic and parents don't find the methodology clear.
"In a clear and transparent context, straight line measurements might offer a better solution.
"This will enable parents to approximate distances for themselves and enable them to make more informed choices when expressing a school preference."
Any change will not affect entitlement to free bus passes which will continue to be based on walking routes.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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